Rehearsing at home

Preparation

Get to know the score. Are there solo parts, does a particular voice part stop at any point, does the music divide at any point? Go through and make sure you know exactly which line you should be on, and mark where it isn’t clear.

Clearly mark repeats and where they go back to a previous page; use a tab to easily find it.

Have a look at where your note comes from for a new entry and join it to yours.

Put tabs in for different sections of the piece to make them easier to find.

Use paper clips to close off any sections that are going to be missed out.

During rehearsals

Always bring a pencil. It is important to mark your score during a rehearsal, and especially to record all the points provided by the Music Director.

Mark all breaths.

For staggered breathing take a whole beat out to take a proper breath. Mark where you are going to take it so you do it in the same place each time. This will help with learning.

Make a note of any section that needs a little more work. Don’t rely on your memory.

At home

Focus on the sections that you find difficult. Don’t try and get through it all every time, focus on small chunks and learn them well.

Use rehearsal tracks (see below), a piano, or even your old descant recorder for the sections that need extra work.

Read through the text in rhythm, especially for fast sections and when singing in a foreign language. This is just as important as learning the notes.

It is very important to listen to a recording of the work; it will give you a good idea of the piece as a whole. You can use your score to help you sing along, or just listen to it as frequently as you can. You will find recordings of most classical works on YouTube or try the music streaming service Spotify.

Rehearsal tracks

Rehearsal tracks are designed to help you learn your voice part by listening to it in isolation and/or with the other voice parts in the background. Some are based on recorded singers and therefore include the words, while others feature the voice parts played on an instrument, so of course there are no words.

You can purchase rehearsal tracks from Choraline, at choraline.com. These are great if you prefer to hear a recording of your voice part but they aren’t free. It costs £8.99 for a download, or £12.99 for a CD. The Chorus has a discount that you can take advantage of once you become a member.

Thank you to everyone from around the world for watching Jonathan's Town Hall Organ Concert today from the stunning Rochdale Town Hall. @RochdaleCouncil You can watch again here: https://youtu.be/0bEnrPci2tM

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‘What has happened, in the midst of the tragedy & uncertainty of recent weeks, is a classic case of correlation being mistaken for causation; of hastily drawn opinions becoming established fact; of an industry being silenced on a false premise.’ https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/5-june/comment/opinion/it-is-time-to-sing-again

We are a living musical tradition that is almost 1,000 years old & proud to be part of the #EnglishChoralTradition. We should be hopeful for its future, as Psalm 46 reminds us, but prepared to positively and proactively protect it for generations to come
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sing-it-out-will-no-one-in-government-stand-up-for-british-choirs-7nb28sl0q